First of the lasts!

I can’t quite believe that this adventure is coming to an end. When we arrived it seemed like we were going to be here forever and now it seems like just a couple of weeks have passed and suddenly we are having to think about packing up and doing all those things we meant to do while we were here!!! We also keep finding ourselves saying this is the last time we are going to be doing something – going to Abdul’s restaurant for his amazing food on a Wednesday night followed by a cold Tusker at Smugglers, heading up to Diani for the weekend with all our friends, spotting a turtle whilst out snorkeling, sitting at the Reef in Shimoni or Paradise in Mkwiro together for a sundowner at the end of a busy day, teaching our adult English classes, going out on the boat on a beautiful day and seeing dolphins, walking through the village being greeted by cheerful cries of ‘Jambo’, sitting typing with a kitten draped around my shoulders, the list goes on and on and all too soon it is going to be our last night on the island and our last night in Shimoni and finally our last night in Kenya in just 10 short days. Some of those lasts I’m not going to miss so much – doing my washing by hand, the mosquitoes and sandflies, using a long drop toilet, showering in cold, salty water, sleeping in a single bunk bed in a room full of snorers, finding monkeys in the kitchen stealing our food, cooking for 30 people on a two ringed gas stove but those things are all part of this incredible experience and we are going to miss it all so much.

Last night we were lucky enough to be part of a wonderful event to mark the end of our time at the Shimoni Base Academy. A few weeks ago we were asked when would be a good time for them to throw us a surprise leaving party and so we were very surprised when we had it last night, the night we had suggested! We were given even more of a clue in the afternoon as we made our way back from our last adult class and someone shouted “see you at your party at 7:30 tonight”!!!! So 7:30 saw nine of us from GVI trooping through the village to join a number of village personages who were gathered in ‘our’ classroom at the Base Academy. What followed was a very special evening as we were treated to some incredible cooking by the teachers – fried fish, coconut rice, soup, bajia and Mr Mwamose’s extra special hot sauce – awesome!! Before we ate I was presented with a gift from the women of a pair of kangas which they showed me how to wear in the proper Swahili style and after the meal we were surprised by even more lovely and thoughtful gifts from the teachers – a beautiful woven floor mat and some woven placemats and our firm favourites, two polo shirts adorned with Shimoni Base Academy on the back! Then finally some words of thanks from Athumani, Mr Adam and Mr Mwamose, all of which made me cry! Luckily Jamie was on hand to offer our own words of thanks as I am pretty sure that I couldn’t have managed it without dissolving into more tears!

And in a night full of lovely moments some highlights were: Mr Mwamose informing me that the community would no longer call me Kate and that my new name would be Nuru meaning Light, and this, one of the best references I have ever had which was sent to our Country Director from the Principal, Mr Mwamose!

Dear Sir/ Madam
RE: APPRECIATION OF GOOD WORKDONE AT SHIMONI BASE ACADEMYOn behalf of Shimoni Community especially Shimoni Base Academy children, Staff and committee members, I’m here to express my deep gratitude to the G.V.I’s gift of insights and support communicated more effectively by:

(i) Providing free English classes to the locals to break the language barrier
(ii) Improving the look of Base academy Classroom by (plastering. fitting doors & windows, painting, decorating and creating various subjects corners like Maths, Music, Art and Science)
(iii) Painting World map and writing alphabetical letters around the Blackboard
God bless you for happy brightening and improving the learning Environment for the pupils

We feel inspired to recognize the way madam Kate and Jamie came out to shower us with their countless personal kindness to enlighten us to be more sensitive and aware about our environment, I hope who will read this may feel invited to join this long circle.

Once again we thank you for your valuable co-operation.